If you bought a keg in Greensboro, NC you might have gotten some crappy beer with a more expensive label, says the News-Record. David Edward Essa, 34, and Robert Christopher Martin, 35 are charged with three counts of the delightful-sounding felony “obtaining money by false pretenses,” after placing more expensive brand names on cheaper beer.
“Most retailers take seriously their responsibility not to fraudulently deceive consumers purchasing alcoholic beverages,” said Alan Fields, district supervisor for Greensboro’s ALE Office. “This is the first time in 20 years, I’ve heard complaints about switching brand labels.”
In April, ALE Agents covertly ordered a keg of beer labeled with the Bud Light brand from an employee at the University General Store. They also obtained samples of the Bud Light on tap at the Spring Garden Bar and Pizzeria. Analysis of both samples indicated the beer was Busch Light in both cases.
The ALE investigation also revealed that employees at Westerwood Tavern were selling Keystone Light beer from a tap, but representing the product to consumers as Coors Light, a more expensive beer.
ALE agents? Analysis of samples? CSI:Beer!
What’s on tap: Not what you think, ALE agents say [News-Record] (Thanks, Dan!)
(Photo: qnr )
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@jammadave: Noooo kidding. I would love to have RC on tap!
@Trai_Dep: @Trai_Dep: Why the hatred towards NC Frat Boys? Did you get kicked out of parties when you were in college?
As a former NC frat boy, I can tell you that the only times we bought kegs other than Busch Light and Natty Light were during “Foreign Exchange” nights, when we’d get Newcastle, Pilsner Urquell, and Dos Equis Kegs.
This is super common. I worked for a beer distributor for a summer in PA and when we’d run out of kegs of Bud but still had deliveries or sales until the next batch came in, we’d scrape off the Busch sticker and put a Bud cap on it. The low end shit is so bad NO ONE can tell the diff between a Bud or a Busch, esp since they’re from the same brewer.
The judge will probably say he’s going to “throw the keg” at these crooks when he sentances them.
@GearheadGeek: I don’t know, Applebee’s in my area probably has the best beer. .Not just by brands of whats offered but by quality of presented product. Always Cold, Never flat. And I can get Shiner Bock, Dos Equis, and Rolling Rock at my local bee’s. Maybe not “elite” but still very passable. Also, many Local restaruants in North Texas region carry a varitety of tap beer beyond “ML, BL, and CL” Oh, anyone in north texas that likes Blue Moon, should find a BJ’s and order their house Heffevison, very good.
@Bladefist: “I hate to bring politics into this (thats a complete lie) but I would be all for some sort of governmental social program, to put good beers into the hands of hard working Americans.”
SOCIALIST!!!
Actually, if they used my recipes for lager or California Common (Steam Beer to the hoi polloi) I might have to concur. And yeah, I AM a socialist. ;p ;b Also rather drunk. Was I wearing a hat when I came in here?
@Bladefist: Can’t. The various cola companies have incompatible nozzle attachments on those bags of syrup and the pumping equipment.
I used to work at Jack in the Box and I remember in our case Dr. Pepper had a unique connector compared to the rest of the products (which were from Coke).
@DWMILLER:
PBR. If it’s good enough for Frank Booth, it’s good enough for me.
And I thought Busch was good beer in North Carolina.
@cronick: Celebrator! I totally forgot about that stuff. It tastes great and comes with a plastic toy goat.
ALE guy says this is the first time in 20 years he’s seen this switcheroo, yet they find it being done in 3 completely separate and unrelated bars in Greensboro? Seems unlikely these places just happened to figure out this scam on their own just recently, doesn’t it? I live in GSO and have watched our local officials work bigger scams than this one over the years. I’m guessing these bars just forgot to pay their “ALE dues” or something.
Also, subbing crappy cheap beer for crappy cheaper beer? How much profit could they make on this? Why not sub crappy cheap beer for something with a bigger markup? Which is what makes me think there’s more to this story between ALE and the bars in question.
all this talk of beer, and no mention of stone?!?!
/me longtime arrogant bastard drinker, and part-time fine dining brewhouse employee.
How come everybody’s not saying they could have told the difference, like they are in the vodka thread?
/rhetorical, I know
@testsicles: I coulda sworn it’s up here in New Hampshire. Guess I’ll have to look again.
@testsicles: Yes! During my frequent underage drinking parties a couple years ago, Lion’s Head was a mainstay. Now it’s $10/case, and no longer has an inch of sediment at the bottom. They have awesome riddles in the caps, but now that I’m older (and no longer broke), I stick to Hefeweizen. Lion’s head is the only beer that really promised me a hangover.